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You pad outside, slippers on, for the dog’s morning constitutional. Coffee in one hand, your phone in the other, your leash awkwardly wrapped around two fingers. The dog yanks a little too hard, and you fling your coffee all over yourself. Forget all that. Use a hands-free leash like this one. It wraps around your waist so you can run, bike, or just amble around the front yard with both hands still free.

Over time, most dog owners will come to love everything about their companion. With the possible exception of their signature stench. This powerful air purifier, designed specifically for pet owners, is like a magic box that removes that part of the experience, while leaving everything else just the way it is. It also removes the pet-related allergens from the air, so they won’t have to listen to Aunt May whine about her runny nose when she visits.
The steady temperament of Labradors and their ability to learn make them an ideal breed for search and rescue, detection, and therapy work. They are a very intelligent breed. They are ranked No. 7 in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs. The AKC describes the breed as an ideal family and sporting dog. Their primary working role in the field continues to be that of a hunting retriever.

The StarMark Bob-A-Lot treat-dispensing toy rolls around as your dog tries to get treats out of it. It's great for play and exercise, plus your pup gets a great reward every time. With a 3-cup capacity, you can fill this toy with your dog's kibble or a handful of his favorite treats to keep your pup entertained for hours. It's one of our favorite dog toys.

‘Tis the season to spoil your loved ones! We’ve put together a gift guide filled with all sorts of gift ideas for dog owners, dog lovers, and, of course, your dog. With a variety of goodies for every type of dog person and their pup, we have you covered. From personalized gift packs to breed embroidered hats, jewelry, and ugly sweaters, we guarantee that every person on your list will be smiling or wagging their tail.
This is Oscar the black American Labrador Retriever at 2 years old. He is waiting for his owner to throw him the ball. Notice how his tail is up. That indicates that he is in an excited state of mind. Oscar gets a lot of excited physical exercise playing ball. This type of exercise tires out the body, but keeps the mind in high excitement mode. A pack walk is also needed to exercise and calm the mind.
Kate Perry, dog trainer and author of Training for Both Ends of the Dog Leash, likes to give “practical items that help stimulate the dogs mind and help owners have a better relationship with their dogs.” One of her favorite interactive treat toys for pups is the Busy Buddy Twist and Treat, which keeps dogs working for their food. “Great as a gift for new dog owners, and great for training a dog to work for their food.”
Personalized Dog Gifts From Susabella: Susabella.com is an online gift company that specializes in unique pieces from artists, all handmade, so no two pieces are identical, and many of them are customizable to the recipient. They have a whole section of pet gifts that includes this personalized ceramic dog bone-shaped holiday tree ornament (just $20), as well as different sized food bowls, treat jars, food scoops and leash hangers ($20-$50). For personalization in time for Christmas, orders must be placed by December 11.
With a strong, heavy built body and square proportions, the Labrador Retriever is classified as a working dog. One of their trademark characteristic features is a strong jaw set in a broad head. These dogs also have strong legs and shoulders, which add to their fast pace. At full adult size, they stand at about 21 to 24 inches in height at the withers (the highest part of the back), with a weight of 50 to 80 pounds. The coat is straight, dense, and short, with the outer coat being a bit coarse, and the undercoat thick and soft. This makes the Labrador all but completely waterproof, with the thick undercoat protecting the skin, and the outer guard coat whisking water away. Labradors have a certain distinct elegance, carrying themselves with an upright, proud demeanor, but with a friendly facial expression that invites new acquaintances and endears them to their human families.
Breeders must agree to have all test results, positive or negative, published in the CHIC database. A dog need not receive good or even passing scores on the evaluations to obtain a CHIC number, so CHIC registration alone is not proof of soundness or absence of disease, but all test results are posted on the CHIC website and can be accessed by anyone who wants to check the health of a puppy’s parents. If the breeder tells you she doesn't need to do those tests because she's never had problems in her lines and her dogs have been "vet checked," then you should go find a breeder who is more rigorous about genetic testing.
In the United States, the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Labrador's breed club have set the breed standard to accommodate the field-bred Labrador somewhat. For instance, the AKC withers-height standards allow conformation dogs to be slightly taller than the equivalent British standard.[45] However, dual champions, or dogs that excel in both the field and the show ring, are becoming more unusual.[46]
Labrador Retrievers hail from the island of Newfoundland, off the northeastern Atlantic coast of Canada. Originally called St. John's dogs, after the capital city of Newfoundland, Labs served as companions and helpers to the local fishermen beginning in the 1700s. The dogs spent their days working alongside their owners, retrieving fish who had escaped hooks and towing in lines, and then returned home to spend the evening with the fishermen's family. Although his heritage is unknown, many believe the St. John's dog was interbred with the Newfoundland Dog and other small local water dogs. Outsiders noticed the dog's usefulness and good disposition, and English sportsmen imported a few Labs to England to serve as retrievers for hunting. The second Earl of Malmesbury was one of the first, and had St. John's dogs shipped to England sometime around 1830. The third Earl of Malmesbury was the first person to refer to the dogs as Labradors. Amazingly, Labs — now America's most popular dog — were almost extinct by the 1880s, and the Malmesbury family and other English fans are credited with saving the breed. In Newfoundland, the breed disappeared because of government restrictions and tax laws. Families were allowed to keep no more than one dog, and owning a female was highly taxed, so girl puppies were culled from litters. In England, however, the breed survived, and the Kennel Club recognized the Labrador Retriever as a distinct breed in 1903. The American Kennel Club followed suit in 1917, and in the '20s and '30s, British Labs were imported to establish the breed in the U.S. The breed's popularity really began to take off after World War II, and in 1991, the Labrador Retriever became the most popular dog registered with the American Kennel Club — and he's held that distinction ever since. He also tops the list in Canada and England. Today, Labs work in drug and explosive detection, search and rescue, therapy, assistance to the handicapped, and as retrievers for hunters. They also excel in all forms of dog competitions: show, field, agility, and obedience.
This floor pillow is as comfortable as it is cute. Made with 100% polyester for a soft touch, this pillow is overstuffed with firm-yet-plush fill to ensure that it never loses shape. Suitable for a dorm room or bedroom – even a living room or family room – this pillow is a great complement to the Dogs are Weird wall clock. Pair them up for a unique gift set.
The human-to-human reticence of the dog lover can be misinterpreted as anti-social behavior. But it’s usually nothing personal. The truth is, many days they only care to communicate through face licking and belly rubbing. In order to avoid any confusion or negative social consequences, allow them to communicate the critical message in plain English. The world isn’t such a hostile place when you wear your intentions on your sleeve – or even better, on your chest.

For dogs that enjoy dog toys even more than bully sticks, you can gift them the ZippyPaws birthday cake plush dog toy or the KONG Occasions birthday balloon dog toy. New dog toys are always great choice as dog gifts because they are gifts that keep on giving. Not only will your dog love to have something new to play with, but it will be even more special because she gets to use it while spending quality bonding time with you.

The life expectancy for Labrador Retrievers is generally 10-12 years. They have relatively few health problems, but are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, ear infections and eye disorders. Labs that are fed too much and exercised too little may develop obesity problems. It’s very important that they get daily exercise along with moderate rations of food.
Networking can help you find a dog that may be the perfect companion for your family. Most people who love Labradors love all Labradors. That’s why breed clubs have rescue organizations devoted to taking care of homeless dogs. The Labrador Club of America’s rescue network can help you find a dog that may be the perfect companion for your family. You can also search online for other Labrador rescues in your area.
The Labrador Retriever is the descendant of the St. John's Water Dog, a working dog from the island of Newfoundland. The 2nd Earl of Malmesbury is said to have seen St. John’s Dogs retrieving nets for fishing boats, and then had the dogs imported to England. These dogs from Newfoundland were subsequently bred to develop the Labrador Retriever we know today.
Just like people, as dogs get a little longer in the tooth, climbing and jumping onto things gets less fun and a lot less advisable. Unfortunately, as good as dogs are at doing dog-related things – like fetching and greeting – they tend to struggle with “don’t jump into the car anymore”, and other ideas that make sense to us. A portable dog ramp will save Fido from himself and help him get a lot more miles out of those old bones.
The Labrador is a moderate dog, not extreme in any way. It is square or slightly longer than tall, of fairly large bone and substance. The breed’s broad head and strong jaws enabled the dog to carry the largest game birds, such as Canada geese. A heavy body and strong legs enable the dog to swim and run powerfully. The coat, which is short, straight, and dense with a soft undercoat, is weatherproof and helps to protect it from icy waters. The Lab is a working retriever and possesses style without over-refinement, and substance without clumsiness.
Give your pup’s mealtimes a personalized touch with these ceramic bowls lovingly emblazoned with their name. They’re fully customizable, giving you the flexibility to choose a font that reflects your dog’s personality—the seller will even send proofs of the final design before it goes into production. Measuring 7” in diameter and 2.75” in height, each bowl holds up to six cups of kibble or water and can be hand-washed (dishwashers may cause the vinyl name decal to deteriorate). The seller, Loges and Lily, also offers smaller bowls designed for tinier breeds.
The AKC describes the Labrador's temperament as a kind, pleasant, outgoing and tractable nature.[5] Labradors' sense of smell allows them to home in on almost any scent and follow the path of its origin. They generally stay on the scent until they find it. Navies, military forces and police forces use them as detection dogs to track down smugglers, thieves, terrorists and black marketers. They are known to have a very soft feel to the mouth, as a result of being bred to retrieve game such as waterfowl. They are prone to chewing objects (though they can be trained to abandon this behaviour).
Cool Collars (and Leashes): Inspired by hiking and climbing gear, Lupine collars and leashes are made in the mountains of New Hampshire from high tensile webbing with extra heavy-duty buckles, and carry an unconditional lifetime guarantee - even if chewed. They also come in a huge range of great looking patterns and designs, with matching collars and leashes (if that’s your thing), and they also have an eco-line made from recycled bottles. Lupine also does a lot for dog charities, which I love.
In the early years of the breed through to the mid-20th century, Labradors of a shade we would now call "yellow" were in fact a dark, almost butterscotch, colour (visible in early yellow Labrador photographs). The shade was known as "Golden" until required to be changed by the UK Kennel Club, on the grounds that "Gold" was not actually a colour. Over the 20th century a preference for far lighter shades of yellow through to cream prevailed; until today most yellow Labradors are of this shade. Also fawn has been a common colour in the yellow lab variety.[25]

If doggy nail polish is too flashy, Rona also has some recommendations for more straightforward dog-grooming gifts to keep your pet clean. “For a luxury shampoo and conditioner, I recommend the Mineral Red or argan shampoo and conditioner by Iv San Bernard.” According to the manufacturer’s website, Mineral Red is better for dogs with allergies or dry skin, while the Black Passion, which has argan oil and seaweed, is suitable for any type of coat.